Fraternity Lines Up Bands to Rock for a Cause

Ten bands will plug in and crank it up for a good cause Saturday night.

Sigma Alpha Epsilon's seventh annual Rock the Campus for the Cure kicks off at 5 p.m. April 16 on the UT Dallas Softball Fields. The fraternity donates each year's proceeds to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

The 10 bands on the bill for the annual benefit concert are The Orange, Nancy Silva Project, Sidekick Mafia, Don't Wake Aislin, The Red 100s, Andrew Tinker & Co., Robinson Hall, Tiger Darrow, The Burgundys, and The Family Business.

Rock the Campus started in 2005 when UT Dallas student Brad Monks lost his battle to lymphoma. Members of SAE organized the first Rock the Campus as a way to honor him, and the concerts have continued every year since.

“Brad was someone who you only had to meet once for him to leave an impact in your life,” said Carl Lutz, the executive director of Rock the Campus.

The group has raised more than $73,000, despite rain delays and and other obstacles in the past three years.

SAE hopes to crank up the volume and raise $30,000 at this year's event alone.

“Being recognized as a federal nonprofit foundation is a game-changer for us” said concert chairman Elliott Zieba. “Achieving this status allows us to gain more avenues of fundraising and marketing, and most importantly it allows the concert supporters to receive a tax deduction for being a named sponsor of the show or for purchasing tickets.”

Rock the Campus is funded by ticket sales and companies that donate to the cause. “Without the support of many organizations, we would not be as successful as we are today” said Zieba.

Organizers say Rock the Campus has grown over time. “This year hundreds of bands contacted us from San Antonio, Austin, and around the country wanting to play the show,” Lutz said.

Bands that play Rock the Campus donate their time as a way to support the mission of the show and help raise awareness for cancer research.

Two bands in this year’s lineup — Don't Wake Aislin and The Family Business — can trace their origins to UT Dallas. “Pulling talent from UT Dallas, is a way for us to support our alma mater and our fellow Comets,” said Lutz.

More information can be found at the Rock the Campus website. Tickets can be purchased online for a tax-deductible donation of $10, or at the show.

Two bands slated to play have ties to the University. Don't Wake Aislin (above) was co-founded by a UT Dallas student. The Family Business (below) was formed by two students who met on campus as sophomores.